STATEMENT BY HON. NAKADAMA RUKIA ISANGA MINISTER FOR GENDER, LABOUR AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA UNITED NATIONS, NEWYORK

Transcription

1 STATEMENT BY HON. NAKADAMA RUKIA ISANGA MINISTER FOR GENDER, LABOUR AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA AT THE 59 TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN UNITED NATIONS, NEWYORK REVIEW OF BEIJING DECLARATION AND PLATFORM FOR ACTION, INCLUDING CURRENT CHALLENGES THAT AFFECT ITS IMPLEMENTATION AND THE ACHIEVEMENT OF GENDER EQUALITY AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN. NEW YORK, MARCH Check against delivery 1

2 Excellences, Ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of the Government and the people of the Republic of Uganda, I convey our sincere congratulations to you Chairperson and the Members of the bureau for your able leadership in guiding the 59 th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. My delegation welcomes with appreciation the Report of the Secretary General on the Review and Appraisal of the Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Outcomes of the Twenty-third Special Session of the General Assembly. My delegation aligns itself to the statements made by the group of G77 and China delivered by South Africa and that of African Group by Sudan. Uganda reaffirms her commitment to Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action as a guiding framework for promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women. It is in this vein that my delegation welcomes the Political Declaration that we adopted at the beginning of this Session. Uganda has made a significant progress in delivering on the promises set out in the Platform for Action. Our land mark achievement was the promulgation of a gender sensitive Constitution immediately after the Fourth World Conference on Women. The Constitution entrenches the principle of equality between women and men, outlaws discrimination on the basis of sex, 2

3 protects the rights of women and guarantees affirmative action in-favour of marginalized groups including women. In addition, Uganda has registered significant progress in women s literacy. In 1995, the literacy rate for women s was 45% compared to 63% of men which increased to 65% compared to 77% of men by We have attained gender parity in enrolment of girls at primary school level. The number of women in decision making in the political, administrative and managerial sector has increased. For example, women s representation in Parliament rose from 14% in 1995 to the current 35% which surpasses the target set by the Platform for Action. Uganda s Vision is to become a modern and a prosperous country by In this regard Government has achieved the MDG target of reducing the number of people in absolute poverty by half (from 56% in 1992/93 to 19.7% in 2013/14). The Government has also place strategies for women s access to economic resources. For example the Land Act 2010 prohibits sale or mortgage of land without the consent of the spouse and children. Government is subsidizing demarcation and titling of land for vulnerable groups including women in order to protect their land rights. Consequently, Land ownership by women increased from 7% in 1995 to 39% in Furthermore, during the just concluded International Women s Day Celebrations, H.E The President of Uganda pledged to create women s empowerment programme to improve their economic livelihoods starting next financial year 2015/

4 The Beijing Platform for Action requires Member States to adopt gender mainstreaming strategies in the promotion of gender equality and women s empowerment. Over the period, Uganda has institutionalized gender planning in all sectors and as a result various sectors have sectoral gender specific policies and Action Plans as well as gender committees who act as focal points at sectoral level. Although Uganda has made significant achievements since 1995, there are still challenges hindering women s progress. These include the following; HIV infection rates has stagnated at 8.3% among women compared to 6.1% in men Maternal mortality ratio is still high with 438 deaths per 100,000 live births Gender Based Violence is high and remains a major concern and obstacle to development in our society. We are still grappling with high teenage pregnancies and child marriages Inadequate access to economic resources by women As we review the Beijing Platform for Action after 20years, we look forward to a gender inclusive post 2015 Development Agenda with emphasis on the following issues among others; Reproductive health of women in particular the young women 4

5 Addressing teenage pregnancy and child marriages Reducing HIV infection rates and mitigating its impact on women Reversing feminization of poverty Changing the persistent patriarchal patterns of behavior which undermines women s progress Ending all forms of violations against women and girls In conclusion, as we move towards finalizing the transformative 2015 development Agenda and in line with Uganda Vision 2040, we renew our commitment to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Uganda joins the world to uphold the principle of equality, development and peace and we reaffirm our political will and commitment to tackle the remaining gaps and challenges and pledge to take concrete actions to empower women and girls in political, social and economic spheres. FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY 5